Description
Sasha Rozhdestvensky violin
Jeremy Menuhin piano
Physical release: 6 November 2015
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Violin Sonata, Op. 134
1. Andante
2. Allegretto
3. Largo
4. Violin Sonata – unfinished (1945) ((This recording includes an extra 28 bars of a development section found in Shostakovich’s original manuscript, which doesn’t appear in the published score of the Unfinished Sonata. The work is completed by an 11 bar coda written by conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky) *
5. Andantino from String Quartet, No. 4 (arr. Tsyganov)
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Symphony of Psalms (arr. piano duet by Shostakovich)
6. Part I
7. Part II
8. Part III
Gaetano BRAGA (1829-1907)
9. La Serenata (sung in Russian) (arr. for soprano, mezzo, violin & piano by Shostakovich)
All premiere CD recordings except the Violin Sonata, Op. 134
* Premiere commercial recording (world premiere performed in Portugal by Sasha Rozhdestvensky, violin & Mikhail Rudy, piano on 8 July 2006)
Sasha Rozhdestvensky violin
Jeremy Menuhin piano
Mookie Menuhin piano
Ilona Domnich soprano
Alexandra Sherman mezzo
Andrew Walton producer
Debs Spanton engineer
Recording venue Menuhin Hall, Yehudi Menuhin School, UK
Recording dates 8-9 Jan 2015 (trs. 1-3), 10 Jan (trs. 6-8), 11 Jan (tr. 9)
Press Quotes
“All works on the album are performed exquisitely.“ [Audiophile Audition]
“…a programme that leads off with a noteworthy performance of the late Violin Sonata… a robust interpretation that fully comes to terms with the sonata’s grim vision. Their meticulous attention to the score’s ever-shifting moods and express…ive turns gives their performance its distinction… His [Menuhin’s] intensity in the peak moments is impressive” … “Jeremy and Mookie Lee-Menuhin revive this nearly forgotten score [Symphony of Psalms] in a sensitive and compassionate performance.” … “[the Andantino] is realised to perfection by Rozhdestvensky and Menuhin” [DSCH Journal, Jan 2016]
“Rozhdestvensky and Menuhin are alive to the elusive principal characters of its three movements – respectively watchful, strenuous and increasingly maddened yet implacably disciplined … a disc that should be of outstanding interest to Shostakovich lovers” [Gramophone, Dec 2015]
“very effective performance from Sasha Rozhdestvensky and Jeremy Menuhin who are particularly adept at building up a real sense of tension through the long Finale… performed with such fine sense of ensemble…warmly recorded release”
[BBC Music Magazine, April 2016]